The National Association for the Blind, India has worked for the welfare of the blind for past several years. During this, it was realized that in most cases blindness is preventable. Malnutrition is one of the biggest cause of blindness. Lack of awareness about the ailments of the eye also leads to people loosing their sight. Keeping these factors in mind, NAB decided to set up a special department to work for the prevention of blindness.
History:
NAB established the department of prevention of Blindness in 1996. This Department has conducted several camps at various places for examining the eyes of the poor and deserving people.
In the past decade it has examined a large number of people and distributed a number of spectacles free of cost.
Activities:
The department organizes camps wherein the eyes of the target groups are examined by trained staff of NAB and spectacles are provided to the patients who require it after tailoring these to suit their specific need. If found necessary, people with more problems are referred to ophthalmologist and proper treatment including eye operations are made available.
The aim of the department is to assist those who cannot afford eye-care to enable them to use the best available eye treatment for saving their sight.
Generally, the department staff visits municipal schools of a particular area and examine their eyes. This activity is carried out with the consent of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
A stitch in time saves nine. As per the International Agency for Prevention of Blindness, eye examination and provision of spectacles can eliminate up to 12 and 25% of world blindness in developing and developed countries respectively. By correcting refractive errors, one can dramatically improve quality of life and access to education for many children.
NAB, while serving the blind, has been playing an active role in detection of causes of blindness and providing effective treatment for the same. The Project for Prevention of Blindness started by NAB, back in 1998 detects and treats glaucoma, cataract and conjunctivitis, provides medicines and spectacles to the children in the slums and municipal schools.
NAB Kaikhushroo H. Chinoy Centre for Prevention of Blindness & Low Vision
Number of Schools covered annually: 79-82 Schools.
Till today we have covered 781 Municipal Schools in Mumbai.
Eye Screening carried out:
2,73,749 Children in 10 Years Spectacles to 18,264 Medicine to 2785
60,06 Adults in 8 Years Spectacles to 18,303 Medicines to 1571
Number of Glaucoma Cases Detected so far: 400 in last 3 Years
Project “Drishti”: 4000 Keratoplasty Surgeries Sponsored by Reliance Industries Ltd, all over India.
Project “Seeing is Believing”: 3559 Cataract Surgeries Sponsored by Standard Chartered, ABN AMRO Bank, Manek Davar all over India
Low Vision:
Number of Cases Detected so far: 2,900
Types of Service provided
We provide them with Low Vision Kits, Magnifying Glasses and Special Quality Spectacles.
PREVENTION OF BLINDNESS ANNUAL REPORT
FOR APRIL 2006 TO MARCH 2007
This year we have Screened 38,458 children and Adults provided 8,665 Spectacles.
Details of our activities are reflected in the sheets attached.
Salient features are as under:
18,971 children in 61 Municipal Schools were screened.
2,224 of the children had Eye problems and were checked by eye specialists:
653 were provided Spectacles.
478 Medicines were provided.
The other Ongoing Project in Prevention of Blindness for Senior Citizens of Mumbai
Salient features are as under:
Total Screened: 2994
Total Spectacles: 623
Total Cataract: 1038
Total Medicines: 44
MISEZ PROJECT SPONSORED BY RELIANCE (2006-2007)
This has given NAB Prevention Dept. an opportunity to cater to rural people in the villages of Pen, Panvel, Uran etc.
Screened : 16493
Spectacles : 7567
Cataract : 933
Other Activities undertaken by Prevention of Blindness all over India.
Project Drishti Sponsored by Reliance for Keratoplasty 1550 Surgeries.
Project for Cataract Sponsored by ABN AMRO Bank and others 1038 Surgeries.
With the meeting with Trustees of Shri Hitwardak Mandal Kandivli (W), we got a long awaited permission of free eye consulting, and cataract surgery.
This would benefit the people living in the western Suburbs; who otherwise had to come all the way to Bachoobhai Hospital (Parel).
On the central side we got Mahatma Eye Hospital for our free patients.
SUMMARY
Grand Total including Senior Citizens:
Total Screened : 38,458
Total Checked by Optometrist : 21,711
Total Spectacles : 8,848
Total Medicines : 522
Total Cataract : 1971
Total Keratoplasty : 1550
Dinoo V. Gandhi
Hon. Secretary
NAB
